Wild Hearts
by ArkansasPrincess72482
Summary: Chavez meets a girl who almost tames his wild heart. Reviews wanted and appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Wild Hearts

Summary: Reviews appreciated! Chavez meets a girl who almost tames his wild heart.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

* * *

Samantha Allen rode fast and hard, chasing the young bull that had escaped from her father's herd. She could hear her horse panting loudly and felt her heart beating faster and faster in her chest. Finally she was only a few feet away so she began swinging her rope. She was just about to throw her rope around the bulls neck when a young cowboy, a few years older than her beat her to it. She glared at the cowboy and jumped down off her horse as the cowboy stopped his horse, pulling his ropetightly. Samantha had a determined expression on her face as she walked over, reached up and shoved the boy off his horse. She walked around the cowboy's horse and over to him so she could stare down at the him. The bull had already run off into the brush nearby. 

"Darn it, Sammy! You let him get away," the boy laying on the ground said. He could tell by the look on Samantha's face that she was getting angrier at him by the second.

"Joshua Allen, I had that bull," Samantha screamed at him. Josh rolled his eyes and stood up, dusting off his pants.

"Why don't you just go home and help mama like a girl should, Sammie?" Josh replied, staring at his sister angrily. Samantha clenched her fist.

"Samantha, don't hit that boy," a man's voice bellowed from behind her. Samantha turned around and stared up at her father who was glaring down at her from a big, black stallion that he had let her name.

"But daddy I had that bull," Samantha said, pouting as she glanced back at Josh, " It's all Josh's fault." Samantha insisted, instantly regretted her words as she saw her father's face getting redder. She had to hold back her laughter when she saw the vein in his forehead began to throb. It always did that when he got angry.

"It was your fault, young lady," her father said, "If you hadn't knocked your brother off that horse we'd have that bull right now." Samantha felt her eyes feel with tears of embarrassment as she looked around at all the other ranch hands that her father had hired. They we're all smirking at her like they always did when she got into trouble and she got into trouble a lot. She started to respond but her dad put his hand up to stop her.

"Go back to the house and help your mama with supper," her dad continued, still glaring angrily down at her. Samantha bit her lip to fight back the tears and started to say something back but her father spoke first.

"I said to go home, Sammie," her father said, his voice rising, "I mean now, young lady." Samantha turned and glared at Josh before climbing on her horse and riding hard back toward the two story, white house they called home.

* * *

Jose Chavez Y Chavez watched the girl ride away from the others in the direction she came fromhis hiding place in the brush. He smiled to himself. The girl had spunk. He had watched her knock the older boy off his horse and saw the anger in her face when she rode back the way she had come. He knew she couldn't be any older than fifteen or sixteen. She was a beautiful girl with long, wavy brown hair that fell down to her waist. Her skin was pretty dark from being outside so much and usually he wouldn't like that but on her it just seemed to work. He had let his eyes linger over her body as she had stood their arguing with the older men who he knew to be her father. She had a nice figure. He smiled to himself at the thought. 

His eyes turned back to the older man on the horse that the girl had been arguing with. That man was the reason he was here. Chavez had been looking for that man for a year. The only one of them that he had been able to hunt down and he was going to make this one pay. This man who he knew to be William Allen. One of the soldiers who had helped butcher everyone he loved. He was going to take everyone and everything he loved away from him but before he did he was going to force the man to tell him exactly where he could find Murphy. Murphy was the man he knew was responsible for everything that had happened.

Chavez glanced down at the small, dead bull on the ground beside him. It was a small start but it meant something to William Allen and that's all that mattered now.

* * *

Hey Everybody! I hope you liked this chapter. If you did leave a review and even if you didn't, leave me a review and tell me how I can make it better. The faster you review, the faster I'll update. Thanks. :) 


	2. Chapter 2

Samantha rode her horse into the barn and slid off of it's back. She groaned as she unhooked the saddle and pulled it off of her horse and laid it overthe saddle post some of the ranch hands had fixed up to lay the saddles up on. Samantha walked back over to her horse and laid her head against his mane. She finally let her tears fall.

"Your the only one I'll ever let see me cry, Ivory," Samantha whispered to her white horse that she had gotten for her fourteenth birthday. She was sixteen now and the horse hadbecome her best friend.

"Daddy just doesn't understand," Samantha continued, sobbing against the horses neck, "I just want to help. Sometimes I wish I just wasn't a girl at all. Then maybe daddy wouldn't get so upset and maybe Josh would let me do something on my own for once.

Samantha sighed and kissed the horse's neck softly before walking out of the barn and over to the house.

When she walked inside the house her mama was standing at the stove stirring a pot of beans that she was obviously making for supper that night. At the sound ofSamantha's footsteps her mom turned and looked at her, knowingly.

"Get into trouble again," Elizabeth Allen asked her daughter, not surprised at all that her daughter was home early. She glanced at her daughter's outfit. It disappointed her that her daughter just refused to act or dress like a lady. At the moment, Samantha was wearing a pair of tan, dusty britches and a white buttoned up shirt. Samantha's long, brown hair was flowing loosely down her back. Elizabeth sighed and looked away from her daughter.

"Samantha Allen, you look scandalous dressed like that," Elizabeth said, "you hardly look like a lady in those britches. Go put on a nice dress and wash up." Samantha walked upstairs after rolling her eyes and did what her mama had told her to. Well, she was about to anyway when she smiled to herself, pushed open her bedroom window and climbed down the oak tree that stood right outside her window. She jumped down to the ground and ran as hard as she could to the trees and brush a few yards behind her house. She kept running even when she got to the trees. She knew no one would see her now but she already hadher destination in mind and that was right where she was going. When she reached the edge of the cliff overlooking the river, her favorite bathing spot, she came to a sudden stop. Samantha smiled as she slipped out of her pants and her shirt and was left in her long underwear and white undershirt. She was minutes from diving in to the river when she heard the gun being cocked behind her. She started to turn around but was stopped by his voice.

"Miss Allen, I do have that right, don't I?" Chavez asked, his gun aimed carefully, not knowing yet if he could trust the girl. You never knew withpeople you had just met, well officially. Samantha considered going ahead and diving off the cliff but a part of her told her that if she did he might shoot and she would be dead.

"Good. Turn around," Chavez said in a controlling voice. Samantha slowly turned around and crossed her hands across her chest as she stared at the guy in front of her. He was older than her. Probably in his early twenties. He had long black that fell loosely down his back past his shoulders. His intense, black eyes stared down into her green eyes. Samantha glanced down at the gun that he held in his hand, pointed straight at her chest.

"You go back to your house, sneak in through that window you snuck out of and leave your daddy a little note," Chavez said, he leaned in close to her, so close that Samantha could smell the whiskey on his breath, "Tell him to meet us at Rock Cliffs in three days." Samantha stared at him in confusion.

"U-Us?" Samantha asked, trying to hide the fear in her voice but the smile on the man's face told her she hadn't done a very good job at it.

"Yes, Miss Allen, you and me," Chavez said, leaning away from her a little, "If you don't come back I'll have to comefind you and I'll make you sorry, you understand me?" Samantha looked up into his eyes and nodded. Chavez stepped aside.

"Good girl. Now pick up your clothes and get movin'. You better be back in an hour," Chavez said as the girl picked up her clothes and ran quickly from him, back toward the house she had snuck out of. Chavez kicked the rocks under his feet and cursed himself. That hadn't been his plan at all but when he had seen the girl out there about to dive in that water she had looked so beautiful. Something had just come over him. He had never intended to scare her. He just wanted to be close to her and he couldn't remember ever wanting anything so strongly. He smiled to himself and sat down on the edge of the cliff to wait for her. He'd just shake the feeling he got when he was near her and use her as bait. When her daddy showed up at the Cliffs he'd get his revenge and he'd let her go.


	3. Chapter 3

Samantha looked back over her shoulder as she climbed in her window. That man was crazy if he thought she was going to do anything he said. Well, she was going to return to the cliffs, with her daddy's rifle. She would show her daddy, Josh and everybody else that she could take care of herself. She snuck out of her room and quietly walked down to her parent's room. She opened the door slowly, pausing when the door creaked, she didn't hear any movement from anywhere in the house so she stepped into the room and shoot the door behind her. She smiled when she saw her father's rifle on his gun rack. Samantha walked over and carefully took the gun off the rack. After removing the gun she walked over to the dresser and opened the top drawer. She smiled when she saw the shells. She grabbed two or three and shoved them in the pockets of her britches. Samantha loaded the rifle and walked over to the window. She climbed out onto the roof and walked over to the edge. She jumped off and let herself hit the ground and roll a few feet before standing up and running toward the trees.

It didn't take Samantha long to run back to the brushes beside the cliff and saw the man sitting with his legs dangling over the edge and his back to her. Samantha crept quietly up behind him, cocked the rifle and pointed it straight at the man's head.

When Chavez heard the gun being cocked her jumped up and turned around quickly, slipping his pistol out of it's holster. His eyes widened when he saw the person holding the rifle that was pointed directly at him.

"I'm back," Samantha replied, glaring at him. Chavez laughed but Samantha stood her ground. In fact, she stepped forward and shoved the end of the barrel of the gun against his chest. Chavez winced and stared at her, growing angrier at each passing second.

"Miss Allen, if your gonna pull that trigger you better do it now," Chavez said, staring down into the girls eyes. Chavez knew she wouldn't be able to do it and when she didn't he grabbed the rifle away from her and hit herin the head with it, knocking her unconscious. Chavez threw the rifle in the river and picked the girl up off the ground. He slung her over his shoulder and started back through the woods toward where he had left his horse.

* * *

It was dusk before William Allen and the ranch hands made their way back up to the house for supper. William stopped short when he saw his wife, Elizabeth, sitting on the bench he had made for her on the front porch. She was staring out at him with tears running down her cheeks. William ran quickly up onto the porch and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up to face him.

"What's wrong, Elizabeth?" William asked, a demanding tone to his voice. Elizabeth sobbed and held onto her husband like he was the only thing keeping her from collapsing to the floor and he pretty much was at the time.

"It's Samantha. She came home and I sent her up to her room to clean up. She never came back so I went up to check," Elizabeth's sobs interrupted her and William held herout from him at arms length and shook her gently to get her attention.

"What happened to her?" William asked, knowing his wife wouldn't get so upset over something small.

"She's gone, William. Her bedroom window was open and our bedroom window was open," Elizabeth cried. William smiled at her and shook his head.

"Elizabeth, honey, you know Sammie, she probably just ran off because she was mad at me," William said. Elizabeth shook her head and pulled away, glaring at him angrily.

"No, William, no! Your rifle is gone and so are some of the cartridges," Elizabeth said. She knew that she had finally gotten through to him when she saw the fear in his eyes. William let go of his wife and turned to his men.

"Joshua, you and some of the hands take the north side of the land and the rest of you come with me to search the south," he said, the men all nodded, William glanced back at his wife and then back to the cowboy that had worked with him ever since he had first settled there, "Luke, you stay here with Elizabeth. If Sammie comes back come find us and let us know." Luke nodded and walked up on the porch. Luke wrapped one of his arms around Elizabeth's shoulders and led her back into the house. William, Josh and the other ranch hands climbed back onto their already tired horses and headed out in search of Samantha.

* * *

Chavez stared across the fire at the girl he had laid on the only bedroll he had brought with him. He hadn't really meant to hit her but the girl really hadn't given him any other choice. He didn't think she would have shot him but he couldn't be sure. He was still staring at her when her eyes opened and she started to sit up. She cried out in pain and rubbed her forehead with her hand.

"Don't try to get up," Chavez said, receiving a glare from the girl, "it won't help." He took a long drink from the whiskey bottle he had in his hand.

"Did you really have to hit me?" Samantha asked, staring at the man across the fire from her. The pain in her head was almost unbearable but there was no way she'd make the mistake of letting him know that, at least not again. Chavez laughed and looked at her like she had just grown an extra head.

"We're you really gonna shoot me?" Chavez shot back. Samantha glared at him.

"Maybe," Samantha replied, sticking her chin up at him defiantly. Chavez nodded.

"Well, then maybe I really had to hit you," Chavez replied before taking another long drink from his bottle. Samantha rolled her eyes.

"You know, drinking is a really unattractive habit," Samantha replied. Chavez laughed.

"'Unattractive'. That's a mighty big word coming from such a little girl," Chavez replied, ignoring the hard look he got for it, "Besides, your not really one to be talkin'," Chavez glanced at her pants and Samantha rolled her eyes.

"I'm not a little girl and I'm not trying to be attractive," Samantha shot back. Chavez couldn't keep the smile from his face as he looked over at her and then back down at the fire.

"Good damn thing," Chavez whispered, smirking as he took another drink of the whiskey.


	4. Chapter 4

Josh pulled the rifle out of the water and tossed it onto the river back. He looked up at the other ranch hands and they stared back down at him. Josh shook his head. Samantha could be anywhere and things weren't looking good. On the cliff over looking the river there had been two sets of footprints and a little blood on the ground. What scared him the most was one set of footprints was way too large to be a woman's.

Josh waded out of the water, grabbed the rifle and climbed back on his horse. They had to keep searching. His little sister was out there somewhere and he had a feeling that she wasn't safe.

* * *

Luke watched the older woman at the table across from him. She wasn't much older than him. Only by a few years. He had known her since he was fifteen years old. She had married a soldier and the soldier had been taking care of Luke ever since his parents had died. She had been like a mother to him and he loved her like he would a mother just like he loved Samantha like a sister. He felt a deep pain in his heart as he watched the woman across from him, tears running down her cheeks that she didn't even bother to wipe away. Just staring at the door, praying her daughter would just walk right back through it.

* * *

William Allen led his horse slowly through the brush with his ranch hands close behind him. He felt horrible about getting so angry with his daughter earlier. He knew it was her fault that the bull had gotten away but deep down in his heart he couldn't get past the feeling that she just wasn't safe where she was. His thoughts we're interrupted by one of his ranch hand's loud voice.

"Mr. Allen, look at those buzzards flying around over there," the man said, gazing up in the sky a few thousand yards in front of them. Dread immediately came over William. He looked up at the buzzards and started riding as fast as he could get his horse to move toward them. As William came closer to the buzzards he saw that whatever they we're flying around was hidden in the brush. He glanced around recognizing the area he was riding in. It was just about the same area that Samantha and Josh had lost the bull in only hours before. A new wave of dread came over William. William jumped off his horse and started running toward the brush. When he stepped into the brush and looked down he sighed in relief. The body he was looking down at was not Samantha's. It was the bulls.

* * *

Chavez reached into his saddle bag and pulled out two pieces of jerky. He reached his hand out toward Samantha. Samantha was angry at him and wouldn't have taken it if she hadn't been so hungry. She bit into the jerky and bit a piece off, wrinkling her nose at the strong taste. Chavez laughed and bit off a big bite from his.

"Sorry, whiskey must have dripped in the saddle bag" Chavez said, smirking at her, "adds an interesting flavor, don't you think?" Samantha rolled her eyes and bit off another bite.

"It tastes horrible," Samantha replied, glaring at him. Chavez glanced over at the girl.

"What's your first name, Miss Allen?" Chavez asked.

"You can just call me Miss Allen and we'll leave it at that," Samantha replied. Chavez sighed.

"I don't want to call you Miss Allen so I'm just gonna have to come up with something else I guess," Chavez said, pretending to think about it for second, "I got it! How about who.."

"Samantha," Samantha interrupted before Chavez could finish his sentence. She gave him a

hard glare when she saw the smirk on his face.

"What's yours?" Samantha asked, taking another bite of her jerky.

"Chavez," Chavez replied, running his fingers back through his hair after throwing what was left of his jerky into the fire. Samantha's eyes widened.

"Mexican?" Samantha asked. The glare she got from Chavez told her that she had offended him.

"Mexican Indian," Chavez replied. Samantha nodded and laid back on the bed roll.

"Sorry," Samantha whispered just loud enough for Chavez to hear her. Chavez just nodded and laid back, using his saddle bag for a pillow. Samantha glanced over at Chavez.

"You can sleep on the bed roll if you want," Samantha whispered. Chavez glanced over at her.

"Is that an invitation, Samantha," Chavez asked, smirking at her. Samantha groaned and rolled over onto her side with her back to him.


	5. Chapter 5

Samantha's eyes fluttered open and she looked at the sun rising up over the rocky cliffs that stuck out from the canyon walls above. She turned on her side to look across the gray ashes that was what was left of the fire Chavez had built the night before. Her eyes fell on the sleeping figure on the other side. She rolled her eyes and stood up quietly, careful not to wake him. The man was an idiot, she thought to herself as she walked over towardhis horse.

She patted Chavez's horse gently and untied it from the tree the horse had been tied to the day before. She had picked up the saddle and was just about to put it on the horse's back when she heard his voice coming from behind her.

"Put the saddle back down, tie the horse back to the tree and get back over here," Chavez said, glaring at the girl's back. Samantha rolled her eyes but turned and did as he told her to. She glared at him as she sat back down on the bedroll.

"How stupid do you think I am?" Chavez asked, instantly regretting his question when he saw the smirk that suddenly appeared on her face.

"I don't know," Samantha replied, "how stupid is there?"

* * *

Josh rode into Austin, Texas as fast as he could make his horse run and didn't slow down until he saw the marshal sitting on the porch in front of the jail. A look of surprise came over the marshal's face as Josh pulled the reins tightly and jumped down off of his horse before the horse had even stopped moving. The marshal stood up and rushed over to the edge of the porch to meet Josh as he ran up to the edge of the porch.

"What's going on, son?" the marshal asked, concern showing in his brown eyes as most of the people in the town came running over to find out what the trouble was.

"Sammie's gone, Marshall Wilkes," Josh said, stopping for only a moment to catch his breath before continuing, "she took daddy's rifle. We went looking for her last night. Daddy found one of our bulls that had been killed with a knife and I saw two sets of footprints on the cliff overlooking the river just south of our place. One of them was too big to be a woman's." Some of the women in the crowd that had gathered and had heard what Josh said gasped in shock and fear.

"Marshall, there was blood on the ground at the cliff's," Josh finished. There was a mixture of gasps and whispers throughout the crowd when they heard Josh's last words. The marshal stepped down off of the jail porch and put a hand on Josh's shoulder.

"Go tell your pa that I'll have a good size posse out at your place by dusk, Josh," Marshall Wilkes said, a sympathetic expression on his face, "I promise you we will find Sammie." Josh nodded, climbed back onto his horse and started riding back in the direction he had come.

Marshall Wilke's skimmed slowly over the crowd that had gathered on the street in front of the jail during his conversation with Josh.

"Well, you all heard what the boy said," Marshall Wilkes said, loud enough so that everyone in the crowd could hear him speak, "I'm gonna need a posse of about twenty or so men to go along with me to find Miss Allen. One of our young girl's is missing men, let's not let her down."

It didn't take the marshal long until he had twenty good men volunteering to ride with the posse.

* * *

William Allen sat on the edge of the bed, his arm wrapped around his wife's shoulders. Elizabeth hadn't stopped crying for more than a few minutes ever since the day before when she had realized that Samantha was gone. They both glanced up from where they sat when Luke came barging into the room through the bedroom door.

"Josh is riding up, Mr. Allen," Luke said before running back downstairs and out through the front door. William jumped up and ran down the stairs not far behind Luke.

As William ran out the door Josh had just pulled the reins on his horse and was jumping down off of the horse. Josh ran over to the porch and looked up at his father.

"The marshal said he'd be here with a posse at dusk," Josh replied, answering the question he knew his father was about to ask him. William Allen just nodded and walked back into the house.


	6. Chapter 6

"Could I go take a bath?" Samantha asked, trying for the thousandth time to find away to get Chavez to let her go somewhere by herself. Chavez smiled at her.

"Only if you want me to go with you," Chavez said, winking at her. Samantha rolled her eyes.

"Why won't you just let me go?" Samantha asked, "what do you want with me anyway?"

"It's personal," Chavez said, staring down into the fire he had built a few hours earlier.

"Well, it obviously has something to do with me," Samantha said, "maybe that makes it my business." Samantha said and instantly regretted it when she seen the look in Chavez's eyes. She wrapped her arms around herself, scared of the anger she saw.

"It's not your business, Miss Allen," Chavez replied, angrily, "It's between me and your father." Samantha suddenly felt bad and she didn't know why. It was something that she saw in his eyes. Sure the anger was there but beyond that there was a sadness. Samantha looked down at the ground.

"I'm sorry, Chavez," Samantha whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear her. A smile came to his face as he watched the girl. She was avoiding his eyes once more.

"Why do you avoid my eyes every time you say something nice to me," Chavez asked, knowingly. Samantha stared at the ground.

"It's not easy for me to admit when I'm wrong," Samantha answered. Chavez nodded.

"Me either," Chavez said, "but that's why I don't apologize." Samantha looked up at him and smiled.

"Never?" Samantha asked.

"Never," Chavez replied.

"Haven't you ever done anything you felt bad about?" Samantha asked. Chavez nodded.

"I think everyone has," Chavez said, "but I don't see the point of apologizing for something if your not sure you won't do it again." Samantha nodded.

"That makes sense," Samantha replied, shivering and wrapping her arms around her shoulders before laying down on the bedroll and wrapping her arms around herself. Chavez nodded and sighed.

"It's getting cold out here," Chavez said, "it might snow. I'll stay up tonight and make sure the fire doesn't go out. You get some rest." Samantha nodded and shut her eyes, already tired, if only from being in the same place for over twenty four hours.

* * *

William and Josh we're sitting on the porch waiting when Marshal Wilkes and the posse rode up to the house right before dusk. Marshal Wilkes jumped down from his horse and walked over to the edge of the porch, directly in front of William.

"William, Josh," Marshal Wilkes said, tipping his hat slightly to the men. William nodded.

"Marshal," William replied, staring up at the man on the horse in front of him. William tipped his cowboy hat at the men on the horses behind the marshal.

"When your ready we'll head out and start searching for Sammie," Marshal Wilkes said.

"We're ready. Luke is going to stay here with Elizabeth," William said before turning to Josh, "go get the horses ready." Josh nodded and jumped off of the porch to make his way to the barn and do as his father asked him.

* * *

It had been over an hour since William and Josh left with the posse. Elizabeth was laying on her bed, staring out the window at the moon wandering if Samantha could see the moon, hoping that Samantha was still alive but worrying that her worst nightmare may have already come true.

* * *

Chavez watched the girl sleep across the fire from him. Most of the ground was already covered with little white flakes of freshly fallen snow. It had been snowing for an hour and he was freezing but there was nothing more he could do about that. He could tell the girl was cold too because he could see his bedroll move as she shivered in it. Chavez stood up and walked over behind it. He reached down, touching her side to try to scoot her a little closer to the fire when her eyes fluttered open. She looked up at him with fear in her eyes.

"What's going on?" Samantha asked, blinking her eyes as a snowflake fell into one of them. Chavez went ahead and scooted her a little closer to the fire.

"I saw you shivering. I thought you might want to be closer to the fire," Chavez said, not meeting Samantha's eyes. Samantha smiled as she looked up at him.

"Thank you," Samantha said, quietly. Chavez gave her a small smile before walking around to the other side of the fire and starting to sit back down but Samantha's voice stopped him.

"You must be cold. We could share the bedroll," Samantha said, blushing instantly, "I mean, I'm not very tired. I could sit beside you and we could wrap it around both of us." Chavez smiled at her.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," Chavez said, sitting down and rubbing his hands together over the fire. Samantha nodded and rolled over onto her side to face him.

"You would never admit something like that, would you?" Samantha asked. Chavez reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. Chavez took a long drink and sat the bottle down on the ground beside him but didn't answer her.

"Does that help?" Samantha asked, glancing at the bottle of whiskey. Chavez nodded.

"Yeah, it helps a little," Chavez said, watching as Samantha slipped out of the bedroll and stood up. Samantha wrapped the bedroll around her shoulders and walked over to him, slipping it around his shoulders as she sat down. Chavez smiled into the fire, putting an arm around her and pulling her closer so the bedroll would cover more of both of them and keep them warmer.

"Your not as mean as you think you are," Chavez said, smiling down at her. Samantha looked up into his eyes, she felt a tingling sensation where his hand was resting on her side.

"Neither are you," Samantha said, staring up into his eyes. Chavez nodded.

"Yeah, I am," Chavez said, slowly lowering his mouth onto hers.

Samantha closed her eyes as he kissed her. It was so soft and slow, the complete opposite of what she had expected it to be.


	7. Chapter 7

Marshal Wilkes wrapped his coat tighter around himself as he rode through the snow. Half of his posse along with William Allen was with him while the other half of his posse was with Josh Allen and some of William Allen's ranch hands. It was early in the morning and they had been searching all night. They had found some white material that William had said looked like it had came from the shirt Samantha had been wearing when she disappeared.

* * *

Joshua looked at the horse tracks on the ground. The snow was covering them fast so he had decided that he should follow them and find out where they led. After that he would go back and find the rest of posse and the marshal. He was hoping he would get to Samantha in time. He felt so bad about the way he had talked to her the day before about the bull. He knew that she had only been trying to help.

* * *

Chavez broke the kiss and stared down into Samantha's eyes before kissing her once more, this time more quickly. Chavez pulled away and Samantha bit her lower lip.

"Your beautiful, Samantha," Chavez said, staring down at her, a serious expression on his face. Samantha felt the heat on her face and knew she was blushing. She hated it when she blushed.

"Even more beautiful when you blush," Chavez said, smiling at her. He leaned down and kissed her gently again. Samantha kissed him back gently.

* * *

Early the next morning Josh watched his sister sleeping with her head on the outlaw's shoulder. William stood beside him, watching his daughter. He didn't know what was going on but he knew it was important that he got his daughter away from that man. He recognized the man. The man had been one of the young men who had left the indian village the morning William and the other soldiers had attacked it. It wasn't something William was proud of but he couldn't take it back.

William had been told that everyone had been killed that day but he had obviously been wrong. He didn't know why he recognized this man who had his arms wrapped around Samantha but he did. Maybe it was the look in the man's eyes. Suddenly it hit William, he knew why he recognized the man. The man was only half indian. He was also half Mexican. That's what had set him apart from the other men in the village on that day. That's what had made him stand out to William on that day when he had watched the men leave the village with all of the other soldiers.

* * *

Chavez's eyes opened wide. Someone was out in the trees watching him. Samantha groaned and raised her head up off of his shoulder to look up at him.

"What's goin...?" Samanthat started. Chavez put his hand over her mouth and took his pistol out of the holster. He loaded it quickly under the blanket.

"Shh," Chavez whispered, "there's someone out there." Samantha nodded to let Chavez know that she understood so he removed his hand from her mouth. Chavez had barely got the gun loaded when the posse stepped out of the woods, surrounding them. Chavez jumped to his feet, Samantha staying beside him, glancing around her until she saw her father's face, a look of sadness clear in his eyes. Chavez followed her gaze and took aim at William with his pistol. Samantha watched him cock the gun and it was then that she saw Josh, raising his gun, taking aim at Chavez. Samantha stepped in front of Chavez just as Josh pulled the trigger. William gasped as the bullet meant for Chavez hit Samantha and she fell down to the ground.

Chavez could feel the tears that we're about to fall from his eyes as he stared down at the girl. Marshal Wilkes stared at the man as the posse all gathered around Samantha's body, staring down at her. A sadness coming over their faces. Marshal Wilkes stared at Chavez for a second before speaking.

"She made you a better man, didn't she?" Marshal Wilkes asked. Chavez glared at the Marshal, raising his pistol and pointing it at William.

"Almost," Chavez said, pulling the trigger and turning to run toward the woods as the posse stared, watching in shock. William fell to the ground as the posse got over their shock and started shooting at Chavez as he ran away from them through the woods.


	8. Chapter 8

Austin, Texas, One year later:

Chavez walked through the small cemetary reading the names on the tombstones until he found the one he was looking for. He laid the single daisy on the top of the tombstone before sitting on the ground in front of it and reading the inscription to himself.

_In Memory Of_

_Samantha Elizabeth Allen_

_January 4, 1871-December 16, 1887_

Chavez bit his lip before he spoke.

"I killed your father," Chavez said, staring down at the ground, "I never told you why I took you or even why I came anywhere near you." Chavez took a deep breath before continuing.

"Two years ago your father helped kill everyone I knew and loved. My mother's people," Chavez said, "my intentions we're to kill him. I intended to kill his entire family, even you. I couldn't though, not you, but it doesn't matter now. I've done a lot more wrong since you."

"I'm going west to make my people live again. I probably won't be back here again," Chavez said, "I'm truly sorry about your father. I know you must hate me," Chavez said, sighing as he stared at the tombstone, "I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry and that I love you." That was the last time Jose Chavez Y Chavez ever said those words because it was the last time he meant it.

* * *

Thanks to all my readers!


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